Sri Lanka eyes to attract high-end tourists with upcoming ‘Galle Concerto 2024’

19 January 2024 04:02 am - 11 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Edward Robinson- Southern Book Fair, Chanchala Gunewardena - Matara Festival for the Arts, Champika De Silva - Opera at the Anantara, Niranjan Deva Aditya - Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Chalaka Gajabahu - Rhythms of Paradise, Nilupul Gunawardena, and Tracy Holsinger - Gourmet Galle & amp; Galle Literary Festival
- Pic by Nimalsiri Edirisinghe

SLTPB says event placed strategically in the peak season to compete with other regional festivals such as Jaipur Literature Festival

By Nishel Fernando

Sri Lanka is eyeing to attract high-end tourists to the Southern Coast with upcoming ‘Galle Concerto 2024’ series featuring six vibrant festivals in art, food, literature, and music in this peak winter season.

“Out of our (2029) target of 5 million tourists, we want to attract 2.5 high-end tourists spending US$ 500 as opposed to (tourists) spending US$ 180-200,” Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu said.

He was speaking at the official event organised to announce Galle Concerto 2024 - the Southern Festivals, and its Handbook in Colombo this week.

Gajabahu outlined that events such as this provide much needed impetus for Sri Lanka to attract high-end tourists while re-positioning the destination.

He noted that ‘Galle Concerto 2024’ is strategically scheduled in the peak season in order to gain traction among tourists and compete with other regional festivals such as the Jaipur Literature Festival with a wider offering.

Given the record tourist arrivals seen during the first half of this month, he was also upbeat on tourist arrivals reaching 2.5 million above the targeted 2.3 million tourist arrivals for this year.

The ‘Galle Concerto 2024’, consisting of six vibrant independently led ‘Concerto’ of events would be largest promotion of Sri Lanka’s music, culture, art and food ever undertaken, reaching out to a global audience, marketed throughout South Asia and the world.

Presidential Envoy and former member of European Parliament, Niranjan Deva Aditya highlighted that these chain of festivals would send a clear message to the world on Sri Lanka’s resurgence from multiple crises.

“These events show that Sri Lanka is resurgent once again, a beacon of confidence in her cultural, musical, literary and culinary excellence. The President worked tirelessly over past year to bring about this renaissance to showcase that Sri Lanka, in all her resplendence, is back on the world stage,” he said.

The Events

The Concerto comprises of the Rhythms of Paradise drum festival in Koggala (12th - 14th January), the Gourmet Galle Food Festival (12th January – 30th March), the Classical Music Event in Tangalle (19th -21st January), the Southern Book Fair in Galle (19th - 28th January), the Galle Literary Festival (25th -28th January), and the Matara Festival for the Arts (1st - 4th February).

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Comments - 11

Harsha Wijewardene Friday, 19 January 2024 09:57 AM

Pachabahu and other old boys of Harin may need a place to hide after the elections.

Not so Ready for High End Tourist Friday, 19 January 2024 10:26 PM

Target mid level ( US250 to US300) per day tourist firstly. Improve facilities such more

Alina Haji Omar Friday, 19 January 2024 09:58 AM

Blunder of Asia, small debacle, so corrupt, waste of paradise.

Kumara Choksanada Friday, 19 January 2024 09:58 AM

Henchmen of the leeches of Diyawannawa wasting taxpayers money.

Sokrates Friday, 19 January 2024 09:59 AM

No foreign tourist is interested in it. Neither in Sri Lankan music, drums, art, literature and food. For a festival that is supposed to attract foreign tourists, well-known international bands have to be hired.

Martin Kingsford Friday, 19 January 2024 10:00 AM

High end ? Anyone willing to spend their dollars in this polluted filthy country should be welcomed with open arms.

DW Friday, 19 January 2024 12:14 PM

Sri Lanka has such a poor attitude towards tourists. They want to maximise the profit but at the same time doesn't want to provide the tourists need. No decent toilet facilities. Crime, including sexual assault, harassment and robbery have increased significantly. Tourists constantly get ripped off by taxi drivers. From the very poor man to top government level, it's all about stealing from tourists. Tourism is a business and tourists are customers. Any person that does business know that the most important thing is customer satisfaction, an essential step in the process of building customer loyalty, creating customer delight, and generating positive word-of-mouth.

THIS FESTIVAL DESTINED TO FAIL MISERABLY Friday, 19 January 2024 01:10 PM

MORE DECISION MAKING IDIOTS, WHO THE HELLO IS GOING ALL THE WAY TO GALLE FOR A MUSIC FESTIVAL?. ALL THOSE AREAS MENTION ABOVE ARE FLOODED WITH CHINESE LABOUR CAME TO WORK IN PROJECTS DOWN SOUTH, CONVENIENTLY GOT MARRIED AND OR IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH VILLAGES. NAMES OF ALL STREETS AND SHOPS ETC ARE IN CHINESE. DRUGS PEDDLERS, MONEY LAUNDERERS AND THE LIKES WILL BE WILL BE LURKING AROUND TO PREY ON THE VUNERABLE. TOURISTS CAN GET FAR BETTER ENTERTAINMENT, FOOD, ART WORKS AND THE LIKES IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY, WHY WOULD THE TRAVEL ALL THE WAY TO A COUNTRY WHO IS IN TURMOIL AND MAJORITY OF ITS POEPLE SUFFERING UNABLE TO MEET THEIR DAILY BASIC NEEDS. INCOMING PRESIDENT HAS NOT MADE A SINGLE ATTEMPT TO GO AFTER THOSE WHO BROUGHT THE COUNTRY TO ITS KNEES, A GOVERNMENT NOT WORKING FOR IT'S PEOPLE, CORRUPTION TO THE HILT ETC. I PREDICT THIS EVENT WILL BE A TOTAL FLOP. HOPE SAJITH HAS HIS PEOPLE OUT AND ABOUT TO MONITOR AND REPORT ITS SUCCESS AND OR FAILURE.

Smh Friday, 19 January 2024 05:28 PM

Earning only $500 from "high end" tourist? Okay. Someone needs to raise their standards.

THIS FESTIVAL DESTINED TO FAIL MISERABLY Friday, 19 January 2024 06:39 PM

reference my comment above, where I stated, "INCOMING PRESIDENT HAS NOT MADE A SINGLE ATTEMPT ETC. I WAS REFERING TO RANIL, "AS GOTA DID A RUNNER LEAVING RANIL TO FACE THE MUSIC" AND IT IS VERY EVIDENT TO MAJORITY CITIZENS THAT HE HAS AND IS STILL DANCING TO THE BEAT OF GOTA. I AM SURE MOST OF HIS SUPPORTERS WOULD NEVER IN THEIR WILDEST DREAMS EXPECTED HIM TO SWEEP THE PAST THAT GOT US ALL HERE UNDER THE CARPET

Kitty Sunday, 21 January 2024 10:28 AM

Like in Thailand and Cambodia, can't we show our history or other historical stories to foreigners with our art like puppet shows???

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Sri Lanka eyes to attract high-end tourists with upcoming ‘Galle Concerto 2024’

Comments - 11

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